Babangida Ruma

Tuesday, 24 January 2017

Building here
means not masonry constructed, means the development of nation, the future of
the country and Youth the vision of any country lies in the hands of it’s
youths. They are filled with tremendous and towering ambitions.

It will be a
great wastage of human resources if these youths are not given an opportunity
to exercise their talent. All countries needs youths in order for their soil to
become a brighter one. The primary role of young people is to get a good
education in order to become better citizens of tomorrow. They need to learn
skills to do the job that their country’s economy needs.

They also need to know
how to read, write, think, understand, analyze, and discuss the issues their
country faces. the entire success of the nation depends on the youths. However,
in order for continuous success to take place.

It is the
Government’s responsibility to provide the youth with proper facilities for
getting equipped with the knowledge of the modern era. Youth are the spring of
life. It is the age of discovery and dreams. They have the power to transform
the nation into a better place. They also have the ability to lead their fellow
citizens into the right direction. Youths are fighters they fight for an
identity in society, equality, bullying, and other problems, which the world
faces today.

All of them hope
for a world full of opportunities, so great minds can conquer them and become
better individuals. They need good morals and values to handle conflicts in a
positive way. we have aspiring doctors, entrepreneurs, scientists, and who
knows? Maybe the next president.

Illiteracy is a
major around the world. About ninety percent of the people who reside in
villages are illiterate. The reason is their utter ignorance and lack of
initiative to lead them in the right direction. Someone has to pull them up.
Here also, the young people can be of immense help.

The role of the
youth is the most important in today’s time. Youth are strong forces in social
movements. Youths are problem solvers. We need them to resolve most of our
problems. The any nation that’s facing a lot of problems I believe that the
youths are capable of solving them. Our youth they just need to be given a
chance to prove themselves. Youths have the power to unite individuals in the 250
ethnic groups in Nigeria.Racism is an
ongoing issue around the world Individuals is fighting against each other
because of the complexion of their skin and the texture of their hair.

Religion is
another issue the youths can convince their fellow man to live in peace and
love. All of us are one and we should not allow these little differences to
push us away from each other. Youth will make a huge difference in society and
the entire world. The youth are our life and nation. They will make our country
proud. the youth just need the support from their fellow citizens and they will
perform their duties

The role of the
youth in the nation building is crucial. Youth are the problem solvers. Youth
have a positive influence on other young people and the nation, and are
extremely ambitious. Youth have the ability to create an identity for
themselves and move the nation forward.

However, they
will not be able to do this without the support of their Government and fellow
youths. So the youths can make their beautiful land flourish and shine in
success.

Sunday, 22 January 2017

Wi-Fi stands for wireless networks and it means we don’t have to use cables to connect our electronic devices. Wi-Fi is everywhere and it is present even in places where it is not needed. Its mainly used by mobiles and mobile manufacturers give out instructions with them for their proper use.

But the most common scenario is we are getting exposed to Wi-Fi signals, which cause long-term damage to our health.

Wireless devices including mobiles and tablets connect to a router through Wi-Fi signals. These Wi-Fi signals are actually electromagnetic waves, which are harmful for our body.

Most people ignore the risks due to lack of proper knowledge. Over time these signals cause harm to our vital functions. Even British Health Agency has confirmed that Wi-Fi signals have a bad impact on growth rate of both people and plants.

Exposure to Wi-Fi for long term can cause following problems-

1. Chronic fatigue

2. Ear ache and loss of concentration

3. Frequent and severe headaches and lack of sleep

We can’t survive in today’s world without technology and it’s a true fact. So following certain steps we can enjoy the benefits of technology and keep our health intact at the same time.

These steps allow us to handle router safely and use it when required.

1. Switch off the Wi-Fi device when you are going to sleep

2. When you don’t need just it switch it off

3. You can replace cordless phones with wired ones for minimize exposure.

4. Do not keep them in kitchen or bedroom.

Danger of Wi-Fi to human brain.

Wi-Fi is convenient but many have raised doubts concerning the safety of unseen forces that permeate everything around us. Since the introduction of Wi-Fi in 1997, researchers have performed dozens of studies to explore the subject. The results are clear and shocking — Wi-Fi can negatively affect overall health and brain health, especially in children.

Affects Cell Growth

When a group of Danish ninth graders experienced difficulty concentrating after sleeping with their cell phones by their head, they performed an experiment to test the effect of wireless Wi-Fi routers on garden cress. One set of plants was grown in a room free of wireless radiation; the other group grown next to two routers that released the same amount of radiation as a cell phone. The results? The plants nearest the radiation didn’t grow.

Derails Brain Function

Just as the Danish high schooners noticed problems with concentration, scientists have begun to look at the impact of 4G radiations on brain function. Using MRI technology, research performed just last year found that persons exposed to 4G radiations had several areas of reduced brain activity.

Reduces Brain Activity in Females

A group of 30 healthy volunteers, 15 men and 15 women, were given a simple memory test. First, the entire group was tested without any exposure to Wi-Fi radiation — no problem. Then, they were exposed to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi from a wireless access point for about 45 minutes. During that portion of the testing, brain activity was measured and the women had a noticeable change in brain activity and energy levels. Sorry ladies! But guys, don’t get too comfortable.

Neutralizes Sperm

Because we’ve known for a long time that the heat generated by laptops kills sperm. Well, now it turns out that heat isn’t the only threat to a man’s virility. Research has found exposure to Wi-Fi frequencies reduce sperm movement and cause DNA fragmentation. Both human and animal testing has confirmed that exposure negatively affects sperm.

May Impact Fertility

And, it’s not just sperm. The results of an animal study suggest that some wireless frequencies may prevent egg implantation. During the study, mice exposed 2 hours a day for 45 days had significantly increased oxidative stress levels. The cellular damage and impact on DNA structure from exposure suggests a strong possibility of abnormal pregnancy or failure of the egg to implant

Limiting Exposure and Staying Healthy

Although melatonin and L-Carnitine offer nutritional defense, they don’t block exposure. And that’s very hard to accomplish. Look at coverage maps from cell phone companies, or notice how many Wi-Fi networks your smart phone prompts for you to join. We’re surrounded and bombarded by electromagnetic radiation. Blocking exposure is difficult but there are a few small steps you can take. For one, do not keep cell phones, laptops, and tablets close to your body. And if it’s not being used, shut them off (your wireless router too). There are also a number of devices available to counteract electromagnetic frequencies.

Rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT) has lead to significant changes in social, economical and political relations of the modern society. Access to information and control over it contribute to the prevalence of soft power in politics of digital age, and empower the non-state actors in international relations. Contemporary diplomatic service, besides being faced with enhanced roles, requests for extended outreach and accountability, yet shrinking resources, is also challenged with multistakeholder and multidisciplinary international arena.

The most drastic alteration in our lives since the past few years is the penetration and massive progress of the Information technology, which has become more of a necessity for us now rather than a facility. These drastic changes that information technology has introduced in our lives have completely changed our lives and perhaps our lifestyles. Life has become much less manual and a lot hassle-free for people all around the globe that have active access to the innovations of information technology.

The world is fast becoming a global village and the thirst for more knowledge and information has been a driving force for the drastic changes in Information Technology around the world, these changes are what people have termed as the “third industrial revolution”. One can see the basic trends in the Information Communication Technology revolution in terms of its structural changes, from telephony to the Internet, fixed to mobile telephone and from narrowband to broadband. The development in information technology has left an impression on us as individuals not just in the western world but generally. Information technology today has a completely distinct essence to it when compared with how it was perceived to be back in the day. The drastic changes that information technology has introduced in our lives have completely changed our lives and perhaps our lifestyles. Life has become much less manual and a lot hassle-free for people all around the globe that have active access to the innovations of information technology.

It is commonplace to say that nowadays we live in an information society, that is, a world of media saturation, which is heavily influenced by information technology, instantaneous movement of information across time, and space, which come under communication in information technology.

I would explore the riddle, that is ‘information technology’ as the most subtle element and a decisive factor in the effective running of our daily life, which means looking at the way we consume information technology and the end uses, from Communication- Security – Finance industry – Medical field. We are constantly been drenched by one form of information technology or the other, when the technological revolution began the question on our minds back then was “Does information technology shape human communication” but now this has changed, we now ask under what circumstances, in what way and to what extent does information technology shape our lives.

I would look at “Everyday life” as the dull routine, ongoing go-to- work, pay the bills home trudge of existence, it can be conceived as a never ending cultural work through which individuals constantly produce the meanings, structure and social organization of their worlds as well as social identities and those of people they interact with or talk about. I will then evaluate the proposition that Information Technology has become part and parcel of our every waking life, focusing on close readings of information society and their relation to broader ideological discourse of everyday live. My hypothesis is that the world has been subsumed under information technology thus leading to the implosion of different forms of information/communication gadget, which has taken over our everyday life.

Understanding Information Technology

Information technology is so closely attached with our lives today because half the efforts that we have to make in our daily lives in order to sustain and expand are now being done and completed by technological gadgets and machines. For instance, the innovative IPhone that can allow an individual to surf through the Internet on the spot whenever he/she might need it for assistance and relevant information. Information Technology is a term that encompasses all forms of technology used to create, store, exchange, and use information in its various forms (business data, voice conversations, still images, motion pictures, multimedia presentations, and other forms, including those not Yet conceived). It is a convenient term for including both telephony and computer technology in the same word.

Information technology literally refers to any development that mainly involves computer-based information systems comprising of software applications and the computer hardware. A more conventional and perhaps contemporary meaning of the information system is the use of electronic systems that can assist towards retrieving the required information. Information technology in the modern day and age has a lot to do with communication and accessibility, which is mostly why the use of technology (computers) is associated with information. Nothing is the same with the expansion and deeper penetration of information technology, let’s take an example from our daily lives to realize the extent to which technology has become a part of our routine lives, we take an instance of the elevators that we take every day to reach swiftly where we want to without having to waste any time. Communication covers a huge part of what information technology is for the people of the modern age because when we think of accessibility and an easy life, we automatically point towards technological innovations such as the Internet and the mobile phones along with a thousand other inventions. There are many ways through which information technology has become such as integral part of our daily lives; we have incorporated it into our lives as a part of routines. For instance, we plan our busy schedules on our personal laptops or on our cellular phones. This shows how much we depend on information technology that we have even started planning our lives and goals by the help of it.

Indeed, it has made life extremely organized and structured but at the same time we have failed to acknowledge the threats and dangers that it brings along with it. We cannot ignore the fact that there are over thousands and thousands of cyber intrusions each day, which has ended up affecting the lives of people in an unfavorable manner. For example, online banking systems have allowed hackers to steal money and many awful incidents have taken place because of this technological advancement and facility provided to the people. This implies that with more and more technological advancement and information accessibility, the chances of the exploitation of technology and information expand.

Without a single doubt within our minds we can say that information technology has given us an opportunity to lead better lives when it comes to the quality but we can also say this confidently that we are much more conscious and careful now because of the dangers attached with its expansion. Moreover, this excessive dependence upon information technology is making us as individuals less productive when it comes to availing our natural strengths and capabilities. For instance, readily available and well-organized information, which is available on the Internet, has allowed people to plagiarize and block their minds when it comes to personal effort and contribution.

Enhancement of the quality of life

Is the most noticeable aspect of attaching information technology so closely with our daily lives but it seems as if we are ignoring the problems that it is bringing along with the much-needed enhancement. For example, The GPS system (Global positioning system), which was originally developed for military-use but eventually it became a part of our daily, lives in the form of car navigation system. The same GPS system is now being used by terrorists and in other illicit activities, which obviously project the dark side of having information technology at hand.

The most pragmatic yet optimistic side to having information technology at hand is less consumption of time and a better quality of life. For instance, we can reach out to our family and friends residing miles away from us through mobile phone, Internet, computer and web cameras. It is worth mentioning here that every sphere of work and study has developed and excelled in this day and age because of the technological enhancement. Technology has provided every sphere with an opportunity to make their work a lot easier and organized. For instance, spheres such as entertainment have become so significant in our daily lives because of Media, which revolves around many technological widgets such as the satellite system. The main reason as to why information technology has become so proximately attached to our daily lives is the fact that our daily lives now revolve around the technology and we feel incomplete or void without having it around us.

In discussing about Information technology under communication, one of the key forms of communication in 21st century is the mobile phone. It has infiltrated the world, both young and old now engage in the use of mobile phone on a daily basis, though it is widespread amongst teenagers. Without its presence we feel that a significant part of our routine life is lost or we are not in pace with the modern world, from recent studies, an average teenager would send about 42 text messages, receive and makes calls of about 120 minutes daily and basically spends half of the day fidgeting with a mobile phone. A typical day in the life of a teenager would be centered on mobile phones, television and the Internet using the metaphor relating to food, this would be a “balanced diet”. Even 4 years ago, half of the 12-to-19-year-olds gave themselves good marks for knowing how to cope with hardware and software. Today, four out of five young people work with a PC. During the last 4 years, the margin between boys and girls in the use of computers has been halved, meanwhile, 79% of girls and 87% of boy’s state that they use a computer at least once a month in their free time.

Particularly in the age group of 14- and 15-year-olds, female computer users can be found nearly as often as their male counterparts. Moreover, 60% of children report that they have repeatedly used a PC, and 30% report that they have repeatedly used the Internet.

Surveillance plays a huge role in information technology, it denotes what is happening as today’s bureaucratic organizations try to keep track of increasing complex information on a variety of populations and group, it is strongly bound up with our compliance with the current social order. The word surveillance comes preloaded with imagery and emotions. The western world has embraced surveillance, go to the ATM your image is recorded, Watching your every move, they were originally installed to prevent shoplifting but in the new information society it is also used to examine workers performance and how they treat customers in addition to keeping an eye on internal theft.

The expanding role of information technology in our daily lives has allowed each one of us to stay aware and take in as much information as we possibly can and at times much more than required. This implies that the constant bombardment of information makes our daily life in this day and age extremely stressful, for instance, wherever we go we have a mode of communication along with us, which includes the media that comprises radio systems in our cars, television and Internet. However, at the same time we are much more aware and informative through these technologies as compared to the age when these technologies were not as widely available to the general population. It would be a mistake to think that information technology only adds perks to everyday life because it has many downsides as well, which can affect our lives immensely. For instance the soaring number of cyber crimes each and every year. Therefore, we cannot just say that our lives are simple and hassle-free because of the expanding role of information technology in our daily lives because at the same time it has made us feel insecure towards our security and privacy. The expansion of information technology should be encouraged but the problems that it brings along with it should always be addressed and highlighted. With such rapid expansion of information technology ethics of going about its use should be implemented upon strictly. It cannot just make our lives much simpler collectively but the actual reason for the expansion of information technology in our daily lives can be recognized. However, we cannot always blame the technology for its accessibility because the point of concern should be the people who actually end up misusing this facility being provided to us for a better life. For instance, the use of communication technology such as walkie talkies (Handheld transceivers), which can be used for immediate and constant interaction, can be used for appropriate purposes but at the same time they can be used for inappropriate and illicit purposes. This implies that the aim of technology is to provide an individual with a better and much easier life rather than giving ways to execute their illicit intentions. Therefore, we cannot always blame the technology for its inappropriate usage because we will have to agree on the fact that it is man who uses technology to execute his illicit plans and intentions.

In conclusion, I can imply that there are many merits and demerits when it comes to the usage of information technology and people should be able to differentiate that. Information technology is bliss for the most part with such a gigantic impact on our daily lives but it should be used responsibly while realizing the significance of personal struggle and effort. We cannot deny that information technology has become the most significant part of our daily lives while making our lives a lot more hassle-free and swift. Take an example of e-mailing and online shopping which both define how deeply information technology has penetrated into our daily lives and how technologically accustomed we are now. In Britain today, ask an average citizen to show a form of identification and you get: credit/debit card, Oyster card, driving license and Loyalty cards, this is the result of the advancement of information technology, we can almost not do without them and also this could be to our detriment because the it could lead to identity theft, it can be used to track your movement.

Precise details of our daily lives are collected, processed, stored, retrieved everyday within huge computer database, which belongs to big companies, government departments, that is information technology in the form of surveillance system. When you wake up, first thing you do is check your mobile phone for missed calls or text messages and check the internet for new emails or latest news or being neck deep in cyberspace activities like having a second life, making friends, doing and achieving things in a virtual community that does not exist, only that you wished you had it in reality, that is information technology saturating you everyday life in the form of communication.

The increasing saturation of household with Information Technology has led to many people consuming several technologies at the same time, like: listening to music and browsing online, switching between homework on computer and chatting with friends, zapping through channels on the television with the use of a remote controls.

Admittedly I can conclude that information technology is perhaps the most significant part of our daily lives now and it has taken human life to whole new and an intellectual level. Furthermore, it has opened infinite routes of receiving information anytime anyplace allowing us to live a much qualified and informed life.

There is a long long list of threats climate change pose on the world and Nigeria as a country is not exempted from the seeming challenges . Read a paper presented by Babangida Ruma a delegate of Nigeria at the World Youth Foundation (WYF), during a 4-day workshop on climate change. Starting with the appointment Amina j. Mohammed, Minister of Environment- The appointment of Amina j. Mohammed as Minister of Environment in Nigeria is extremely awesome; Ms Amina has been working in the field of development for more than 30 years both in the public sector and the private sector. Prior to her current appointment, she was the CEO and founder of the Think Tank Center for Development Policy Solutions. Previously, she worked as senior adviser to the President of Nigeria on Millennium Development Goals for six years. In this position, she was in charge of designing and developing government projects to reduce poverty around the country. She worked in the United Nations Millennium Project as a coordinator of the Task Force on Gender and Education. Before her appointment as Nigerian minister of environment Ms Amina is the United Nations Secretary-General’s special Advisor on sustainable development (SDGs). I am sure with her national and international experience she will work collectively with the federal ministry of Agriculture & water resources to promote a Sustainable Agriculture and Water Management Practices to educate farmers about the innovative techniques and technologies available to contribute in the climate change adaptation by sharing information with local farmers through outreach programs. More Efforts are needed to reduce poverty and hunger by raising on- and non-farm incomes and diversifying livelihoods can be hindered by emerging forms of employment relationships based on more flexible and casual forms of work. By ensuring increase in the value chains associated with agro-business, to expansion of bio-fuel production and its uncertain impact on employment and the use of land in Nigeria. I don’t need to go so deep I believe in Ms Amina her appointment as minister is the promise destination of Nigerians impact she knows what’s development is all about. What is Climate Change? Climate is usually defined as the “average weather” in a place. It includes patterns of temperature, precipitation (rain or snow), humidity, wind and seasons. Climate patterns play a fundamental role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economies and cultures that depend on them. But the climate we’ve come to expect is not what it used to be, because the past is no longer a reliable predictor of the future. Our climate is rapidly changing with disruptive impacts, and that change is progressing faster than any seen in the last 2,000 years. Rising levels of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere have warmed the Earth and are causing wide-ranging impacts, including rising sea levels; melting snow and ice, more extreme heat events, fires and drought, and more extreme storms, rainfall and floods. Scientists project that these trends will continue and in some cases accelerate, posing significant risks to human health, our forests, agriculture, freshwater supplies, coastlines, and other natural resources. Every year, natural disasters from climate related hazards cause substantial loss of life, produce economic damage, and reverse gains from past economic and social development.Hydro meteorological hazards, such as floods, storms, and droughts, accounted for more than three-quarters of all natural disasters. In the same period, these climate-related disasters were responsible for 98 percent of the cumulative number of people affected by natural disasters and 77 percent of total reported economic damage. Why climate change is so important – Beyond the extreme environmental ramifications, climate change is set to impact the physical, biological and ecological life support systems on which human health depends.Unfortunately many people still believe that it is a wider scale issue and that the government should be doing more and that it cannot be affected by singular actions. This kind of thinking really needs to change; it is our responsibility to make changes in your everyday life to affect change, if you don’t do it how can you expect others? I felt compelled to ask our social media community what they thought and to respond about climate change. I really appreciate all of the thoughtful responses that everyone shared with me. It’s important to have an open dialogue about this topic, as the movement to mitigate climate change is a collective effort. And giving children the tools to understand how what they do impacts on everything around them is key. If we can start to affect change now by explaining how burning gas and oil may have huge implications in the years to come and how harnessing natural sources such as water, wind or sunlight is not only going to save our planet but it is more cost effective in the long run. Although tackling climate change can seem like a pretty daunting task, it’s clear that people really want to do their part, big or small. Which is awesome that’s what this is all about, shared responsibility and collective action. We can save the planet if we all work together and decide that this matters. Climate change cognition among young people: – It has been suggested that the current generation of 18-to-25-year-olds is likely to be the best informed about climate change of any in history, one survey found that 62% of 18-24 year-olds felt they either knew a great deal or fair amount about climate change the majority of surveys indicated lower levels of knowledge. When asked by a BSA survey in 2013 “how much would you say you know about climate change”, 52% of 18-24 year-olds said they knew either “a little” or “hardly anything”, a figure comparable to other age groups. When asked, “how many degrees Celsius do you think global temperatures need to rise for climate change to become dangerous?” only 7% of 18-34s sampled chose the ‘correct’ answer of 2°C. Young people –The key to solving climate change. We know young people have a lot to offer in terms of finding solutions to climate change and they have a right to be part of the important climate decisions, which will affect their future. Component 1: Increase Climate Change Awareness through Environmental Education To build capacity of youth by facilitating the advancement of knowledge and experience sharing on climate change, its impacts, adaptation and mitigation measures through workshops, campaigns and community based projects by involving local communities and educational institutions. To increase ‘climate literacy’ among the youth by effectively disseminating information about the impacts of climate change and the successful stories of climate change adaptation and mitigation (or combating climate change impacts). -To promote awareness and highlight the importance of the marine ecosystems among the local coastal communities and how climate change can adversely affect them by providing awareness raising workshops, seminars and campaign programs. Component 2: Conservation of Marine Ecosystem. To support the protection and conservation of marine ecosystem through youth and coastal communities’ participation in afforestation activities including mangrove and coral transplantation. Component 3: Promotion of Sustainable Agriculture and Water Management Practices To educate farmers about the innovative techniques and technologies available to contribute in the climate change adaptation (by sharing information with local farmers through outreach programs). Component 4: Assessment of Vulnerability and Capacity of Communities. To help the government/communities in capacity and vulnerability assessment (CVA) related to climate change and disasters with the coordination and cooperation with local government units, trained volunteers, Non-government organizations and experts of various fields. To ensure an effective early warning system by information dissemination through electronic and social media and engaging volunteers for a fast evacuation during natural disaster. To ensure youth participation regardless of color, sex, age, gender, religion or nationality and pressuring for transparency and accountability. To this end, we resolve to: Aim to educate our communities by involving peers and local communities through raising awareness and engaging with specific climate change issues i.e. : 1. Adaptation, consumption and mitigation 2. Climate justice Ø International development issues 3.Climate change and energy4. Climate change and forests, deforestation 5. Climate change and health 6. Labor issues 7. Urban issues (climate change and cities)8. Climate change and agriculture Mobilize youth to take action on climate change issues and facilitate such process with a strong support system Engage with policymakers and in decision-making processes: 1. In our community 2. At the local, national, regional and international level Promote solutions (such as renewable energy, sustainable transportation, energy efficiency, low-impact agriculture, etc.) 1. At our school or university 2. In our community 3. At our work placed) 4. At national, regional and international level Engage with business leaders, entrepreneurs and encouraging leadership on climate change by encouraging: Promoting the integration of CSR (corporate social responsibility) into their business model. 1. Raising awareness on reducing emissions from industries. 2. Promoting the use of lower-impact products and technologies. 3. Promoting a clean and pollution free ecosystem by organizing cleaning campaigns at schools/colleges/universities and public places/coastal areas etc. 4. Waste Management by promoting reducing the waste generation, reuses and recycling, set up various waste-separation bins in schools/colleges/universities/ public places etc., and promoting collection of plastics and dumping at designated places. 5. To make green jobs available to young people and advocacy campaigns on youth employment policies. 6. Stimulate action around green jobs locally, through provision, training, skill sharing and creativity. 7. Support the youth in designing, implementing and evaluating community based adaptation programs. 8. Promoting Sustainable Agriculture to youth. 9. Organize more trainings, seminars, conferences, and workshop on environmental conservation. 10. To increase young people’s knowledge and actions on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). 11. Support youth, young women and marginalised communities in designing,

In the 8+ years of actively using a plethora of social media platforms, I have met several brilliant young people. In this period, I have engaged several of these brilliant minds on issues that I either agree with or vehemently disagree with whilst ensuring to glean as much knowledge as possible from the conversations.

A recent conversation I had was with Babangida Ruma, a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador for the Commonwealth Youth Council. He had shared a thought that was put forward by a certain Felix Ordue about the choices of women and girls to share what he termed as half-naked pictures of themselves doing sexy poses, showing off their boobs or lying seductively on their beds. The original poster summarized his thoughts to say that men whether rich or poor admire ladies who dress decently and respect themselves.

I salute the thought process showcased but I am however persuaded that we are all shaped differently and have varying points of view as regards issues of dressing and modesty. I am also persuaded that introducing the concept of self-respect with regard to the dressing choices made by a woman is at best an attempt to erode the confidence of the woman. I am further perplexed when I ruminate in my mind on issues bothering around who made some people the gatekeepers of modesty in conversations around dressing choices. I am yet to find a suitable response to this and I believe I will keep searching.

At a point in my life, either by reasons of the cultural influences around me or by way of religious sanctimonious messages that I was inundated with, I believe that the concept of dressing would have been interpreted by me with the lenses of self-respect. This may also be the defining reasons for why several people in an attempt to become social-justice warriors, unwittingly make themselves the gatekeepers of modesty and morality. This has also found itself firmly situated in the minds of several that unconsciously focus on what a woman wore or didn’t wear when conversations of rape, arise.

In a January 2013 polling conducted by NOI Polls Limited, it was revealed that 34% of respondents in Nigeria attributed the prevalent cause of rape to indecent dressing. This formed the majority of the thoughts on the subject with the remaining 64% attributing rape causes to unemployment, lack of moral values and the inability to control sexual urge, faulty upbringing, ungodliness, illiteracy about women rights and embracing bad company. In a Guardian Newspaper UK article, Amaka Okafor-Vanni, in defense of a woman’s choice for dressing wondered if the proponents of dressing as a cause of rape where advocating that if a woman’s body is visible, it ought to be available for sex or punished for this visibility.

In yet another polling conducted by NOI Polls Limited in July 2014 in partnership with the Stand to End Rape Initiative, it was revealed that an overall majority (67%) think that child rape (persons under 18 years) is prevalent in Nigeria. When asked what should be done to eradicate the incidence of child rape in Nigeria, a mere 2% of the polling population advocated for education in dressing value.

The significant interaction between the two polling activities outlined above is that while actively attributing the prevalent cause of rape to indecent dressing, in yet the same breathe, a majority of Nigerians do not believe that indecent dressing is responsible for child rape. I dare say that there are faulty lines in how we largely weigh in on issues. These lines become greatly defined with time and reinforced not by our individualistic thought processes but by what we think is the societally correct thing to think and say.

The thrust of my conversation is simply to reiterate that attempting to blame a female rape victim for the actions of a rapist by questioning her choice of dressing is wrong. Rape victims should not in any way be labeled and held responsible for the act that everyone agree that they are the victims. When this becomes the default action, it encourages a culture of silence which is even more dangerous as it allows rapists to roam about, unrestrained leaving several victims in their wake.

In a 2014 article I submitted to Bella Naija, I argued that the social implication of rape and the unending justification of vile offenders outweigh the clinical implications. The rape victim often becomes focused with trying to find answers to what people will say about her. This question erodes the victim of the right to stand up and speak against the offender. It is a sad reality and I dare say that the only way to disrupt this violent trend is for victims to stand up, damn the consequence and lend their voice to speak up against evil. The other way is for the individuals that make up our society to fully understand that there is no gatekeeper for modesty. This understanding is timely and salient.

I am delighted to extend my heartily congratulatory massage over your land slide victory in the recent concluded presidential poll, it is indeed a great success that represents a promising moment in Nigeria’s. History, and testimony to the renewed confidence which people of Nigeria have placed in you, to continue to chart the future course of our country Nigeria.

I have a strong confidant that under your leadership, Nigeria will be a greater nation in the world. May Almighty Allah who has blessed Nigeria, grant you those who serve with you wisdom, strength and compassion in the coming years, amen.

Sir, I am particularly worried with the level of despair among the youth in Nigeria. we are all playing with our future if we cannot create conducive avenues for the youths to positively deploy their creativity, passion, and energies parents are struggling to raise their children with no apparent support from those in charge of our resources, and the community and the state offer no help to ensure the youths are provide for thousands of youth roam about with no hope.

Sir respectfully I call for you to create a Presidential Youth Council to empower youth across the country, and to ensure that scarce federal youth programs are directed toward where they can do the most good. As I said during World Youth Foundation (WYF) workshop only youth know’S their problems you can not bring a person with over sixty years and you thing he can solve youth problems.

Now, more than ever, we need to make sure scarce federal resources for youth programs are directed where they can do the most good. The best source of information about which federally-funded youth programs are working, which programs are not, and how to improve them is the young people who receive the services. Young people are unencumbered by special interest groups they can share what needs to be done to ensure federal youth programs are both efficient and effective.

I deeply appreciative of the leadership you have shown in reaching out to young people through meeting after general elections A Presidential Youth Council would serve as an institutional structure to strengthen and complement such episodic events.

Such an institutional structure is necessary to ensure consistent attention to youth engagement, to provide training to young people, and to allow sufficient time for productive working relationships to form between young people and senior administration officials. The Presidential Youth Council would reduce duplicative efforts. and it would expand the reach of your Office of Public Engagement, as each member of the Presidential Youth Council would engage thousands of young people across the country.

Secondly, I write respectfully to share my urgent call for your administration to focus on the issues of econnomic opportunity, Security and job creations while I recognize that our country has been going down by economic development I believe that job creation, economic development and economic empowerment are the most important issues facing our great nation. Accordingly, I urge the following:

1- that a comprehensive jobs programs be developed and executed by way of a partnership that includes government, the private sector and the nation’s non-profit community. This partnership must emphasize infrastructure and public works, broadband technology and energy, with a special focus on those communities where unemployment is and remains stubbornly and persistently high. This necessarily requires special attention to the nation’s urban communities and traditional leadesr where joblessness remains in double digits and economic suffering is widespread.

2- I urge an intense focus on children and youth educations I applaud your efforts as you promissed during campaign about education but you must do more. We need a national policy to move the nation toward universal early childhood education. Other countries like china has implemented early childhood education, so we cannot afford to lag behind.

Moreover, I urge an expansion of your efforts to make college and higher education more affordable by including a new emphasis on job training, workforce development and skills retraining for those citizens who do not choose college or who did not complete high school on time. There is a great-untapped potential in these citizens that must be unleashed to power the economic recovery.

3- Climate change Awareness, now days climate change issue is one of the key Agendas of international leaders. I am glad that you mention climate change in your Agendas so we need to Increase Climate Change Awareness through Environmental Education.

To build capacity of youth by facilitating the advancement of knowledge and experience sharing on climate change, its impacts, adaptation and mitigation measures through workshops, campaigns and community based projects by involving local communities and educational institutions.

To increase ‘climate literacy’ among the youth by effectively disseminating information about the impacts of climate change and the successful stories of climate change adaptation and mitigation (or combating climate change impacts).

Your Excellency, Mr. President I believe those outlined above are the most important facing the nation and I believe by solving them our nation will move forward.